GCN Lab Review: NZXT Avatar gaming mouse

Pros: Stylish, high-performance mouse can work left-handed or right-handedCons: Not for the overly thrifty

Performance: AFeatures: AEase of use: AValue: B+Price: $60

NZXT’s Avatar gaming mouse is to mice what a Steinway is to pianos. This stylish mouse comes with its own CD and user guide. With its cool black matte finish and sleek blue lights that highlight its curves, the Avatar is a decidedly un-mousy mouse. It added a touch of glamor to my cubicle.

The Avatar has Teflon feet and can zoom across a desktop at 40 inches per second. The center scrolling wheel was fast but stopped when you told it to, unlike some mice that have minds of their own. This mouse took direction well. Gamers, take note.

The software lets you adjust the mouse’s settings and assign features to its various buttons. The mouse is symmetrical, and you can orient it for left-handed or right-handed use. And you can adjust attributes such as sensitivity and scroll speed in increments of 10.

After adjusting several settings, the mouse just about flew in my hands. I was reminded of when I bought a new couch that made my rug look shabby: My generic keyboard and computer looked moth-eaten and desperate next to the Avatar mouse.

It would be a great choice for anybody who has to do a lot of scrolling, including people who spend a lot of time on the Web — which means all of us.